Sunday 11 November 2012

Celebrating the Light

Today is the eve of a very important festival for our Hindu friends, it is the day before Dwali (as some call it) or Deepavali ( as others in Malaysia, call it). Dwali is known as the Festival of Light, a triumph of Light over Darkness. I read the legend once, that was a long time ago. But, will tell it to you when my memory is refreshed. The story is about the battle between  Good and Evil, where Evil is defeated and Good illuminates the world.

This is a Holy Day for Hindus (Hindoos) and many significant cleansing rituals are carried out. It is symbolic of repentence, renewal and rebirth.
In Malaysia, despite the many controversies prevalent in our pluralist society at the moment, it is customary to give a greeting of "Happy Deepavali" to almost anyone, not just the Hindus celebrating this special religious celebration. It is a friendly gesture, one that recognizes the importance of the day and the shared universal belief that Good will ultimately be victorious. That is what, most of humankind believes and aspires to. Whilst, this is still in the realms of an ideal within our minds and hearts, unimaginable to some in reality. Yet, the possibility raises hope of peace in our embattled circumstances.

Although it seems easy to revel in goodwill, it is far harder to recognize that the hardships arising from conflict situations at home and around the world are also situations we share, and indirectly or inadvertently, contribute to, in some ways. This brings to mind  Barack Obama's presidential election victory. It is a first in history which was celebrated, not only by Democrat supporters of the United States, but joined in by peoples in Africa and Asia. His first presidential victory celebration was even more widespread.

To think that a single person is capable of uniting so many nations in one event, due to his variegated past is rather astounding. He is an international icon, not just small town US, or Afro-American minority.

It feels like the world is on the threshold of a new era, the era of 'internationality', where perhaps we will realize the dream of  being  world citizens, besides identifying ourselves as belonging to the subsets of citizenship i.e. of a nation, by ethnic, religious or cultural communities, language, or skin colour.

If this ever happens, the peoples of the world will find their own roles in combating the evils t overrunning our lives today, that will continue to enslave a majority of us till the end of time.

With this I wish all the world, a "Happy Dwali" and may Good be ever victorious, within ourselves and beyond ourselves.

Deepavali Eve 12th November 2012


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